Liverpool U18s have crashed out of the U18 Premier League Cup at the semi-final stage, losing 3-0 at home to Reading. Rio Ngumoha was involved in the game but the Reds couldn’t ever get a proper footing.
Reading crashed a shot against the bar in the first half and Ngumoha twisted and turned past his marker before lifting a shot over the top from close range — albeit on an angle — but the first half was limited in terms of chances. It was tight and there were more foul throws than genuine opportunities to break the deadlock.
Joe Bradshaw, playing on the right wing for Liverpool, has scored 13 times so far this season. Here, though, he didn’t have much in the way of an opportunity. Likewise, Josh Sonnie-Lambie, playing as the Liverpool number nine, was isolated.
George Booth, on the hour mark, scored the first goal of the game when the ball dropped for him to shoot. A low effort deflected amid a crowd of bodies and crept into the corner of Kornel Miscuir’s goal.
A few minutes later, the Reading lead was doubled through Emmanuel Osho. When the ball was pulled back to the visiting number nine inside the penalty area, he smashed a shot into the top corner.
Amara Nallo, who scored an own-goal last weekend and was sent off minutes into his senior debut against PSV in the Champions League, had already been booked for hauling back Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith. That was at 0-0, and two goals later, he conceded a penalty kick for a trip, which Coke-Miles-Smith converted. He did, though, avoid a second booking.
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Alvin Ayman, signed from Wolves last summer, impressed with his technical ability in the center of the field, but his influence waned a little in the second half. He signed his first professional contract at Anfield just a few weeks ago and has become a thriving midfielder having played at full-back earlier in his career.
Teenage talent Trey Nyoni has dropped down into the U18 age group at times in this tournament, but he was selected for the first-team trip to PSG in the Champions League, so wasn’t involved here. Without him, Ayman did well to dribble out of tight spaces under pressure, but Reading slowly grew more and more in control.
Liverpool had lost its last four games in a row in this age group heading into the fixture. It has now crashed out of the cup with a scoreline that looked unlikely at half-time, with Reading taking on West Ham United in the final.
